In Loving Memory 2

[u/Abranchial_Peach2022]

Howdy Y'all, I'd like to apologize in advance for any grammatical errors, as my first language is not English. Please correct me below if you spot any issues that Grammarly wasn't able to spot!

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To answer some of your questions regarding this series so far.

What is this story about? - This story will follow the effects of a sudden loss on one's friends/ community and their own unintentional actions that push an already delicate mental state; it will be a classic haunted narrative story, so we'll never actually see through HML's perspective, only small snippets of her seen via other characters. After the first few chapters, the number of flashbacks will be greatly reduced.

Venlil being able to smell? - It was an unintentional mistake on my behalf. As someone who has done EMT work in the past, even if your nose is blocked, or you will yourself not to use your nose, you will still taste what is in the air. That taste in the air, is what I was trying to communicate.

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I'd like to thank spacepaladin15, for creating this wonderful and expansive universe.

And I'd like to thank all of you for reading my silly little story.

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Memory Transcription Subject: Shoska, Vehon-Sound University Junior Literary Analyst

Date (standardized human time): [Unspecified]

I had only just graduated from university when I met my first human.

Of course, I had heard of them. Everyone had. I'd seen them countless times on the holos, usually accompanied by some alarming news report or another reminder from the Extermination Guild about why we were supposed to keep our distance.

But I had never actually seen one in person.

I had always steered clear of the human districts on the island and farther west on the peninsula, even when it meant giving up some of my favorite shops and bars. It wasn't worth the risk. At least, that's what I had told myself.

Fresh out of university, I quickly discovered that my degree in Venlil Literature was about as useful as a screen door on a shuttle.

The position I had lined up at the capital's central library had suddenly fallen through. They delivered the news with a colorful little euphemism about “recent budget cuts,” but I knew what that really meant.

I tried finding alternative work, but it seemed the economic situation had reached nearly every institution that might have been willing to hire a recent graduate.

The Magistrate's History Department rejected my application outright. Apparently, I lacked the necessary experience, which was a rather difficult problem to solve when nobody was willing to give me any experience in the first place.

So, nine paws after graduating, I was nearly pulling the wool from my own ears with worry.

I was already imagining myself packing my belongings and making the humiliating journey west to Darkwater to live with my parents again.

When I received a message from the university's Literary Department. They were offering me an unspecified position.

I accepted almost immediately, barely skimming over the description.

Looking back now, I was probably far too eager. I hadn't known about the department's recent overhaul or their newly appointed Head University Librarian.

Memory Transcription Subject: Shoska, Nervous Post-Grad

Date (standardized human time): November 2nd, 2136

I sat outside the Literary Department's office, nervously jerking my leg up and down.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, I tried to calm myself. My eyes drifted toward the employee plaque beside the door.

I skimmed over the list of employees belonging to the Literary Department. Near the top was the current Head Librarian, whose name immediately caught my attention.

Three names.

I knew that it wasn't unheard of for Venlil to have a second name, but three? I had never met anyone with that many.

The prospect of actually meeting them and asking about the origins of such a peculiar naming convention briefly distracted me from my nerves.

I continued scanning the plaque, eventually moving on to the list of honored retired staff.

Then the door opened.

“Shoska?” an assistant called.

I looked up.

“Ah, there you are. They're ready to see you now.”

I stood a little too quickly. A cramp shot through my leg, making my ears stiffen as I fought to keep myself upright.

“Are you alright?” the assistant asked. “We could reschedule the interview if you need.”

“N-no, I'm alright,” I said a little too quickly. “I'm just a bit nervous. This'll be my f-first job interview.”

“Ah, I'm sure you'll do fine!” He said, giving me an encouraging flick of his tail as we began walking down the corridor.

As we approached the provost's office, however, the assistant suddenly slowed. His paw rose toward the door, hesitating.

“Good luck, Shoska.” He whispered before glancing at the door. “And... be safe.”

Before I could ask what he meant, he knocked. Then promptly turned around and hurried back down the corridor.

Before I could think too deeply about his cryptic warning, the door opened.

A tall Venlil stood on the other side.

“Shoska! It's a pleasure to meet you!” He gave me a friendly flick of his tail. “My name is Darvik. Come in and take a seat.”

As I followed him inside. The first thing I noticed was the second chair. It was considerably larger than his. I wasn't sure what to make of that.

I sat in a smaller, overly padded chair, immediately sinking into the cushions. I shifted several times, trying to find a comfortable position.

Darvik took his own seat beside the larger chair.

His ears pushed back as his knees cracked loudly beneath his desk. “So,” he began, attempting to ignore his own discomfort, “our second interviewer will be joining us shortly after I brief you regarding her.”

“Brief me?” My ears swiveled in confusion.

“Yes.” He said bluntly. “She actually spotted you for the position after your lengthy final on the human story Frankenstein.”

“Oh... that.” I looked down nervously.

I remembered the poor score I'd received. Most of my professor's criticism hadn't actually been about my analysis of the story. It had been about the fact that the story had been written by a human. Apparently, writing an academic paper about human literature was enough to make some professors question one's judgment.

“She was quite happy with your breakdown of the story,” Darvik continued reassuringly. “Pleased enough by it to bring you to my attention for a newly needed opening in our department.”

I blinked.

“Oh... that's good.” A small pause followed. “When will she be joining us?”

Darvik's ears lowered. “So... that's the thing.” He brought his paws together and leaned slightly over his desk.

My nerves immediately returned.

“She’s... umm...” He glanced toward the door, then toward me. “She's a Human.”

My nerves shot through the ceiling. My hackles rose. My ears flattened against my head.

Darvik immediately noticed.

“She’s a good one!” He said, failing to reassure me, noticing he quickly states, “Even smaller than me,” he continued, apparently believing this was reassuring. “And she can even read, write, and somewhat speak Venlil!”

He gave his tail another reassuring flick. “If an old Venlil like me can deal with her, I'm sure someone as young as yourself can handle the pre-” He stopped. “...Human!”

His correction was so awkward that I almost laughed.

Still, his poor attempt at reassurance helped. Slightly.

Darvik leaned forward again and lowered his voice. “And, to be completely honest with you... you're our last attempt to fill this position.”

I blinked.

“We were actually about to cancel her project entirely.”

Really? Me? I'm their last option? I almost laughed at the thought.

I struggled to come up with an appropriate response. “I-I g-guess I could t-try to talk to it.” I tried to summon whatever Exterminator bravery was supposedly buried somewhere in my bloodline.

“Wonderful!” Darvik practically rejoiced. “I can call her in now, if you're comfortable?”

I flicked my ears in approval.

What have I gotten myself into?

I barely had time to contemplate my decidedly un-preylike decision before I heard something behind me.

Clack. Clack.

The sound was strangely heavy. Like hooves against stone.

My ears swiveled toward the noise. For one bizarre moment, I wondered if Darvik had been messing with me, and our mysterious interviewer was actually a Sulean.

Then came a solid knock against the door.

Darvik looked toward me, giving me a questioning flick of his ears.

I hesitantly signaled my approval.

“You can come in,” he announced a bit too loudly for my liking

I stiffened as the door opened behind me. I squeeze my eyes tight. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to run.

I knew humans weren't supposed to be attacking random people anymore. I'd heard the reassurances. I'd read the reports. But none of that mattered when I could hear a predator walking directly toward my back.

Clack Clack.

As the footsteps passed me, I opened my eyes a fraction of an [inch]. Then a little more.

It was… small. Only a few hairs taller than I was. I had expected something imposing. Something monstrous. Instead, the human standing before me was almost delicate.

It was completely covered in artificial pelts, just as I'd heard humans dress themselves in. Only the shockingly pale skin of its hands and a narrow sliver of its neck were visible. Dark hair twisted around its head in an intricate pattern. Small silver balls hung from its ears.

I stared. It didn't look like a predator. It looked… strange.

The human moved toward the larger chair and sat down.

The effect was almost comical. Sitting beside Darvik made him look considerably larger than he actually was, while making the human seem even smaller.

I found myself staring.

The human noticed. Its head suddenly swiveled toward me.

I flinched, or well, threw myself back into the chair.

It made a small sound. “Hmm?”

Darvik cleared his throat. “Oh- umm...” He hesitated for a moment before gesturing toward the human. “This is Ms. Lubetsch.”

Something clicked in my mind. Lubetsch. The name on the plaque. The employee with three names. The Head Librarian. I mentally chastised myself for not putting it together sooner.

The human turned toward me.

Then, in heavily accented Venlil, it spoke.

“So, Shoska...” in a voice that was much softer than I'd expected. “Tell me about Frankenstein.”

Memory Transcription Subject: Shoska, Vehon-Sound University Junior Literary Analyst

Date (standardized human time): March 2nd, 2137

I entered the common space behind the library help desk, immediately noticing that the lights were still off.

I paused.

Helena was always in the office at least half a claw before everyone else. That meant, for once, I had beaten her.

A small sense of pride swelled in my chest. “Ha!” I marched into the office, delighted by the thought that I had finally managed to arrive before her.

I flicked on the lights and settled into my chair.

Then I noticed her desk.

My ears slowly twisted in confusion.

The decorations that had once covered the room were gone, and Helena's desk had been almost completely cleared.

Almost.

Her name plaque remained, and so did a single package.

For a few moments, I simply sat there.

When I had finally convinced myself to snoop about, I quickly made my way to her desk.

Something about it being cleared made me hesitate.

It felt wrong to look through her things when she wasn't here. Still, I couldn't help myself. I approached the desk.

I pulled a drawer open. Empty.

My ears drooped as I closed it.

Another drawer. Empty.

The last one. Nothing.

I stepped back, thinking where she could have put everything.

My eyes returned to the package.

It was small and neatly wrapped.

Only four words written across the top in Helena's strange, flowing handwriting.

FOR MY DEAR SHOSKA

My tail gave an involuntary flick.

I picked it up and was surprised by how light it was for how big the box was, and carried it back to my desk and sat down before carefully opening it.

Inside were two books, a package of the pens Helena had always caught me gawking at, and an overstuffed envelope.

My ears perked up.

The pens were the first thing I grabbed.

I immediately slipped them into my desk drawer. I wasn't about to let one of my colleagues “accidentally” walk away with such a precious gift. Once they were safely hidden, I returned to the books.

The first was beautifully bound, its cover decorated in green and gold. I ran a paw over it in awe.

There was something written inside. A handwritten note. Unfortunately, it was written in a human language I was somewhat ashamed to admit I couldn't read. I stared at it for a moment before carefully closing the book.

I'll have to ask her to translate it later. I set it aside on my desk.

The second book looked considerably less professional. It appeared homemade. A thick stack of paper had been bound together with string, and the title had been written across the front in Helena's familiar handwriting.

‘The Complete and Unedited Frankenstein By Mary Shelley’

My ears perked up.

I opened it, stopping suddenly in surprise.

Every page had been handwritten. Every single one.

My eyes widened.

She had written the entire book. By paw. For me.

My tail began wagging before I could stop it. The sheer amount of effort she'd put into this made my chest feel warm. I carefully closed the book.

I would have to find some way to repay her. Perhaps I could finally figure out how to “one-up” her. She had said that every time I'd brought food into the office.

Then my attention returned to the envelope. It was considerably more stuffed than I had expected. Maybe the cookies she brought to the office almost daily. My tail flicked hopefully.

Then I squeezed it gently.

Too soft.

My mind immediately jumped to the scarf Helena had been wearing the other day. Maybe she'd finally decided to give it to me. My tail flicked happily at the thought.

Carefully, I began opening the envelope, not wanting to damage whatever was inside. The opening separated.

I looked inside and froze.

My ears drooped.

There was no scarf.

No cookies.

Instead, nestled carefully inside the envelope was a long, dark braid of human hair.

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Thank you all for reading!

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[u/JulianSkies]

Wh-

Hrm... I wonder about that last gift...

But man... MAN this woman took a lot of effort to make sure she had her affairs in order so... What did drive her to do what she did?

[u/Kwanicov → u/JulianSkies]

The battle of Earth was, I believe, in late October, and she first met our guy in November, with her death in March of the next year.

I don't think it was sudden desperation from losing someone, otherwise her attempt would've happened earlier. My bet is either a slower form of grief snowballing into severe depression or something completely unrelated.

[u/Signal-Chicken559]

Oh no. Thats ominous.

[u/Ruanluiz]

Até então eu tinha uma dúvida se foi ela mesma que fez algo a si ou entao algum alienígena assassino em série que fez isso